Vusumuzi Dube
Caroline Mutsawu, Sunday News Reporter
TWO Botswana citizens who were arrested for unlawfully entering Zimbabwe and being found in possession of a dangerous explosive and a firearm have been found guilty and sentenced by a Hwange court.
The two- Ishmael Moloi from Tutume village, Baleseng Tshauwe from Pilikwe village were arrested together with a Zimbabwean citizen with a valid Botswana residence permit, Newman Sikula, whose address was given as being from Donga, Francistown, Botswana.
For the first count of unlawfully entering Zimbabwe, the two Tswanas were each ordered to pay a fine of $60 000 or face six months’ imprisonment.
On the count of being found in possession of a dangerous weapon the trio were each sentenced to three years imprisonment of which one and a half years were conditionally suspended for five years.
For the third count of possession of a firearm without a valid firearm certificate, each were sentenced to 10 months imprisonment with four months conditionally suspended for five years
The trio appeared before regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube last Thursday.
The State as represented by prosecutor, Mr Vumizulu Mangena alleged that on 3 August the trio hatched a plan to come and buy mercury in Zimbabwe and used Sikula’s vehicle to enter the country through an undesignated area near Kazungula Border Post.
Upon arrival, the trio met Nigel Mwilinde who sold them a mortar bomb 81 containing red mercury worth US$6 250. At around 4pm on the same day, the trio returned to Botswana intending to use the same illegal route but were intercepted by the police at the 69 kilometre peg along the Victoria Falls-Kazungula Road.
The police recovered a 9mm Rossi Revolver and four 9mm live rounds from a black satchel belonging to the trio who had no valid firearm certificate which led to their arrest. -5_Shannico
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter